I've bought a B&W film developing kit for my teenage granddaughter, who lives in Maine (the B&W printing equip will come later). I'm guessing she'll initially develop 1-3 rolls a month--can the standard developing chemicals be flushed into the septic tank? And chemicals used for B&W printing? Thanks all...

-- Vincent Frazzetta (vfrazz@juno.com), December 08, 2001

Answers

It'll be ok, I'll guarantee it, you need to look forward to seeing her work. Great question.

-- John L. Blue (bluescreek@hotmail.com), December 09, 2001.

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0033p1

Check here. Lots of great threads on the B&W section. I read in one of them I can't find that developer stops 02 from being broken down by microbes or something. but in that small amounts it shouldn't mater. Dean

-- Dean Lastoria (dvlastor@sfu.ca), December 13, 2001.

You can throw developer down the drain, but *nothing* else, especially fixer, which will contain toxic silver and halogen ions. Doesn't the kit have instruction for disposal?

-- paul frank (pnfrank1234@hotmail.com), December 19, 2001.

Um, Mr. Frank, I was thinking after the fixer, stopbath, and developer were pretty much exhausted or used up, they would not cause harm to the septic tank, I hate to guarantee it won't hurt anything if I'm wrong.

-- John L. Blue (bluescreek@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001.

No you shouldn't. Developper, stop but mostly fixer are pretty agressive. They are very harmfull for the environment (and you're not the only one producing it). If you want to kill the vegetation in your garden, for a long time pour it out there. If you have metal pipes it will surely (little bit by little bit) harm them and (in all cases) harm the joints. I had a metal sink that was corroded by the small drops of fixer I spilled when pouring it back into the bottle, even though I flooded it with water afterwards.

I collect the stuff in a small tank or bottles are bring to the community (chemical) wast collection point. Useally they collect it and it will be processed to recycle a.o. silver from it.

regards Reinier

-- ReinierV (rvlaam@xs4all.nl), December 21, 2001.

The silver ions in the fixer are the biggest problem for disposal. One solution is to buy some plain old steel wool and throw it in with the used fixer. The silver ions will plate out to metallic silver on the steel wool. After this process, I would neutralize the acidity of the fixer and stop bath with the exhausted developer (mix them together) and then you should have no problems with the septic field.

-- Al Fairclough (Lensman@hotmail.com), January 10, 2002.

Vincent, I have been processing, printing and exhibiting my B/W photographs for 28 yrs. I have always dumped them down the toilet. I have a septic system, and have owned this house for 21 of the 28 yrs. I have never had a problem with the system and to the best of my knowledge, never affected the bacteria that are so important to the smooth functioning of the system. So, take that what ever way you will.

Lee Burdette

-- Lee Burdette (burdeni@valunet.com), January 14, 2002.

I found myself pondering this same question when setting up my darkroom. After researching for a while It hit me! These chemicals can cancel eachother out. When the chemicals are pretty well used up, just put them all together in one tank and dump them into the tank.

-- Mike K (mck@yours.com), January 17, 2002.